Roots To Health Naturopathic Clinic
778-481-5008
  • Home
  • About
  • Conditions + Treatments
    • Conditions Treated
    • Therapies Used
    • Prenatal Care
    • Integrative Cancer Care
    • Prolotherapy
  • Naturopathic Medicine
    • Priniciples of Naturopathic Medicine
    • Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine >
      • What Conditions Can Acupuncture Treat?
      • What to Do/Not Do Before Your Acupuncture Visit
      • Frequently Asked Questions About Acupuncture
    • Biopuncture
    • Botanical Medicine
    • B12 & B complex Intramuscular Injections and Intravenous (IV) Therapy
    • Clinical Nutrition
    • Diet and Lifestyle Counseling
    • Homeopathy
    • Hydrotherapy
    • Laboratory Testing
    • Pharmaceutical Prescriptions
    • Vitamins and Supplements
  • Book a Visit
    • Book Appointment Online
    • First Visit
    • Fees
    • Fees for Prenatal Visits
    • Health Care Coverage
    • Intake Forms
    • House Calls
    • Acute Visits
    • Resources and Links
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Counselling - Coming Soon in 2026
    • Mission Statement
    • About Me
    • Definition of Counselling
    • Theoretical Approach
    • Practicum Description

The Health Benefits of Coconuts

10/18/2012

5 Comments

 
Picture
Coconuts

Coconuts have a bad reputation of being unhealthy because of their high saturated fat content when in fact they are high in fiber, nutrients and minerals and offer many health benefits. The fats in coconut are unique from other oils since the body utilizes them as an immediate source of energy rather than being stored as fat.  This allows for an increase in metabolism and is why coconut is a great adjunct for weight loss.  Another advantage of coconut is that the oil has fewer calories than other fat sources. 

Adding coconut into your diet can help maintain blood sugar, prevent heart disease and stroke, enhance the immune system, help prevent bone loss, increase energy and metabolism for weight loss, promote healthy skin, relieve muscle cramps and decrease inflammation. 

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is great to cook with since it has a high heating point which means that it can withstand heat without being broken down into harmful byproducts.  For example, olive oil has a low heating point so it is not ideal to cook with because it will smoke easily.  When you heat olive oil you lose most of the health benefits along with producing free radicals or oxidants that can have negative effects on the body.  With coconut oil this does not happen as the constituents are very stable at all temperatures which makes it ideal to cook with.

Coconut oil is also great to use in baking and on popcorn as a substitute for butter.  It is important to note that unsweetened applesauce is another excellent substitute for butter in baking.  You will see in many of our baking recipes we use coconut oil and applesauce.

As for brand of coconut oil we prefer Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut oil.  If you buy it in bulk it is a lot more affordable.  For shredded coconut it is important to purchase unsweetened, unsulfured (no sulfites) coconut to ensure there are no refined sugars or preservatives.  

Coconut sugar

Coconut sugar is another baking essential and can be used as a substitute for white or brown sugar.  It is better than these other sugars because it is naturally occurring and is not highly processed and therefore has little effect on blood glucose levels.  Coconut sugar also has a much higher mineral content than white or brown sugar giving your body nutrients that it requires for daily functions.  It is one of our favourite sweeteners.

Coconut flour

Coconut flour is more difficult to bake with however, we always stock it in our pantry and it comes in handy to make pie crusts.  Coconut flour is very dry and non-binding so typically to counteract this effect eggs have to be added - almost 1 egg per 1/4-1/2 cup of coconut flour.  We don't like to use that many eggs in baking so we tend to use it less than other gluten free flours but we are still experimenting with this flour since it does add a great taste, is high fiber and works for people on a low grain diet.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk has many natural occurring nutrients unlike cow’s milk which needs to be fortified because of the poor, unnatural diet that the cows are fed.  Coconut milk is great in curries served with vegetables, tofu and rice or rice noodles.  We have also made “whipped cream”  with coconut milk which makes a delicious frosting for cupcakes, on a pie or even in homemade hot chocolate.

The best canned coconut milks are Organic or Regular Thai Kitchen or Organic Western Family brands (full fat ones).  You want to look for the ones without any preservatives so the best ones only have: coconut, water and guar gum (which is a natural thickener, fiber).  There are some coconut milks that just contain coconut and water which is even better but won't work for the coconut "whipped" cream recipe but work in everything else.

Recipes of how to integrate coconut into your diet will follow this post soon.  

See an amazing article on coconuts – “The Fat That Can Make You Thin” by Bruce Fife, ND:
http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article10065.htm

For more information on the health benefits of coconut visit:
http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/




5 Comments
Greta James link
6/4/2020 08:54:40 am

Thank you for informing me that coconut oil is used as energy instead of being stored as fat, so it can be great for weight loss. I am trying to eat more fruit and vegetables, and I want to learn which ones are the best for me. It sounds like I should start looking into cold-pressed juice bars that have coconut in some of the drinks!

Reply
Seth link
8/10/2020 12:00:58 am

Much obliged to you for sharing have stunning substance,
creative express gratitude toward you.Thank you for sharing your article. It is truly stunning for me. Keep keeping sharing your blog entry. Much thanks.

Reply
Harvey Lee link
11/5/2020 03:40:04 am

It looks that use of coconut oil can provide many health benefits. I will definitely try it. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Reply
Mahmudul Hasan link
7/24/2021 08:28:06 pm

Amazing blog, I'm very happy to read this blog. Basically, I know new many things to read this blog. I strongly believe that the blog delivers the best information to its audience.

Reply
Md. Tanveer Hasan
5/23/2023 07:02:49 am

Really amazing post. I am really satisfied with this type of information. We know that the internet has a lot of information. But every piece of information is not informative. For many days I have been searching for that type of information that is informative. I am very glad to read this <a href=" https://fambirths.com/march/famous-birthday-on-1st-march/"> content.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Chris and Darcie

    Health tips and delicious recipes.

    Archives

    October 2019
    July 2016
    January 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All
    Allergies
    Book Reviews
    Breakfast Recipes
    Cardiovascular Health
    Desserts
    Detox
    Dinner Recipes
    Dressings/Sauces/Condiments
    Healthy Snacks
    Lunch Recipes
    Naturopathic Tips
    Women's Health

    RSS Feed

> About Our Doctors and Staff
> Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
> Therapies We Use
> Health Care Coverage
> How to Reach Us
> About Your Visit
> Patient Forms

> FAQs




Book an appointment today!

Book now

    Get natural health updates delivered to your email!
    Tips on whole foods, gluten and dairy free cooking, healthy living and more.  We keep your information private and confidential and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Subscribe
'Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease' - Hippocrates
Photos from stu_spivack, Wanna Be Creative, CJS*64, sashafatcat, alexlomas, 24oranges.nl, PracticalCures, yisris, Steve Soblick, treehouse1977, Dyanna Hyde, Elizabeth/Table4Five, DaveCrosby, avlxyz, Archives New Zealand, cote, Dan4th, Chasqui (Luis Tamayo), BatgirlBob, Ed Yourdon, FoodCraftLab, cervus, Life in Flintville, WordRidden, GoodNCrazy, Michael_Lehet, mkhmarketing, HealthAliciousNess, Arya Ziai, perpetualplum, stlbites.com, mynameisharsha, insatiablemunch, {Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester}, aresauburn™, Hail Merry Foods, Marco Verch (CC BY 2.0), sarae, Visual Artist Frank Bonilla, Angela Llop, LaMenta3, joyosity, david.dames, *cart-wheels*, medisave, Alexandre Hamada Possi, Armado, chelle_1278, verchmarco